EDITORIAL: Neronha and RIDEM’s Environmental Protection Is Failing
Saturday, March 04, 2023
Last June, raw sewage was pumped into the Blackstone River for days—literally, untreated feces, urine and everything else that goes down the drain and the toilet.
The cause was the failure of the sewage treatment facility in Woonsocket — a facility owned by the city and managed by two companies — Synagro and Jacobs.
The Blackstone River ends at the Seekonk River, which of course, then runs into Providence and ends in Narragansett Bay.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTNow the failure has happened again. And it is ongoing.
About 8.5 million gallons daily are being dumped into the Blackstone.
Under state law Title 46 -- "Waters and Navigation" -- the following is prohibited.
§ 46-12-5. Prohibitions.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to place any pollutant in a location where it is likely to enter the waters or to place or cause to be placed any solid waste materials, junk, or debris of any kind whatsoever, organic or non organic, in any waters.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge any pollutant into the waters except as in compliance with the provisions of this chapter and any rules and regulations promulgated hereunder and pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit.
RI statute goes on to state:
“Any person who shall violate the provisions of this chapter, or of any permit, rule, regulation, or order issued pursuant thereto, shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for each day during which the violation occurs. In an action for enforcement brought in the superior court…”
“The court also may order any person to pay to the director any and all costs incurred in the investigation, cleanup, and restoration of areas affected by pollutants in connection with any violation. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to limit the amount of monetary relief which the court can award in any action brought pursuant to any other provision of the general laws or pursuant to common law."
So what did Attorney General Peter Neronha and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management do to enforce the most basic environmental law?
Nothing. No ‘notice of violation’ was issued, no fines, no penalties, no recovery of the costs to investigate the release — simply nothing.
Jacobs is a publicly traded company that boosts “$15 billion in annual revenue and a talent force of approximately 60,000.”
After two major discharges in less than a year, the company should think about transferring some of those “talented” employees to Rhode Island.
Because in Rhode Island, there apparently is no penalty for polluting.
An editorial is the opinion of a publication — specifically, the ownership.
While based on facts and news reporting, it is an opinion intended to discuss critical community issues. Often, the opinion is written with the intention of positive change.
GoLocal editorials have sparked conversations, change, and even the naming of a bridge.
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